The air between Ochieng and the strange boy crackled with tension. His half-brother looked young, but there was nothing innocent about his presence.
Name: Cairo Moretti
Age: 16
Profession: Undercover heir of the Moretti Weapon Syndicate
Attitude: Charismatic, cunning, borderline psychotic
Flaws: Arrogance, bloodlust
Appearance: Slim build, silver-blonde hair, green eyes that pierced like scalpels
Background: Born from an affair between Mirabelle Thorn and Lucian Moretti, raised to hate Ochieng, trained by assassins since he was 6
Cairo pulled out a black envelope.
Inside it: an invitation.
"AUCTION OF SECRETS – Midnight – Ebonvale Vaults – Dress Code: Ruthless."
Cairo grinned. "You think you're the heir? You haven't even seen the throne."
--
The underground arena buzzed with darkness.
Billionaires, underworld bosses, forgotten royalty, seductive spies, cursed priests, and masked demons gathered under the glass dome of secrets.
The auctioneer appeared in a blood-red suit.
He slammed a staff on the floor.
"Tonight's Auction: Betrayals, Bloodlines, Bombshells."
The first item?
A recording of Maggy's first confession — her dreams of betraying Ochieng.
(Back when she believed he was the enemy.)
Ochieng stared at the screen as her voice echoed.
"I'll earn his love. Then I'll ruin him."
He said nothing.
Then stood up.
And placed his own envelope on the auctioneer's table.
"Item 27," he declared.
"The True Identity of the Council's Puppetmaster."
Whispers filled the dome.
Cairo's smirk vanished.
---
Before the bidding began, the crowd shifted as new guests entered. Dazzling women, each from a different power town, symbols of fresh alliances and hidden intentions.
1. Vivienne Thorne – 25, seductive tech heiress from Synth City. Cybernetic eye, ruby lips, and the IQ of a god. She was hired to hack Ochieng's past but fell in love with his silence.
2. Anaya Lioré – 23, the new beauty from Emerald Hollow. Trained in deception. Deadly with a smile. Dressed in a diamond-slit gown and high heels rumored to hold poison.
3. Kira Sol – 21, a music prodigy and socialite from Viremont. Composed a symphony that triggered political war. Rumored to be the fiancée of Cairo.
Each stared at Ochieng from different balconies—love, jealousy, or death behind their eyes.
---
Maggy sat in a dark limo, watching the auction through a live feed.
She held a note in her trembling fingers.
"They lied to you. You are not Feranti blood. You are his."
– Mirabelle
Tears streamed down her face.
She remembered how she met Ochieng at a debate in campus—how she laughed at his old shoes, how she touched his notebook to feel the warmth of his thoughts.
She never wanted to betray him. But now?
She had no idea who she was.
Suddenly, the limo door opened.
Tielen appeared. Her hair braided, eyes sharp, gun holstered.
"You coming?" she asked. "Or you gonna drown in your own secrets?"
---
Back at the auction, Cairo slammed his fist.
"You dare challenge me in front of this world?"
Ochieng didn't flinch. "You want to be seen. I want to be remembered."
And then it happened.
Ochieng pressed a button.
A live feed from the Council's own archives played.
Mirabelle Thorn confessing:
"I created Cairo as a shadow. But Ochieng... he was the sun."
The crowd gasped.
Cairo lost it.
Gun drawn. Fired.
Too slow.
Linet appeared behind him, knocking him unconscious.
Jayden leaned over. "You should've brought more fire."
--
Ochieng walked out of the vaults.
Maggy was waiting.
They locked eyes.
No words.
Just a slow, haunted embrace. The kind that said: we've both changed, but I still feel you in my bones.
Then a limo door opened behind them.
Vivienne. Anaya. Kira.
Each held a glass of champagne.
Vivienne smirked. "Well, Heir... which poison will you drink first?"
---